Anvils in America

Title: Anvils in America

Author: Richard Postman
Publisher: Postma Publishing, Berrien Springs, MI 1998
ISBN: 0-9663526-0-5
551 pages, a large appendix, glossary, bibliography, an index of anvils and a general index.

If you are interested in anvils, this book is a MUST HAVE. In 1982 Richard Postman went looking for a book on anvils and when he found out none existed and in fact that there was hardly any collected information on anvils at all, he started to research the topic and collect information which eventually ended up as this book. During his research he recorded (took weight, measurements and notations of markings and materials) over 2000 anvils and personally examined hundreds more. He corresponded with dozens of people in his search for information about this most basic of all tools.

The book covers anvils made in the United States, imported for sale in the U.S. and some anvils brought to the U.S. by smiths. There are chapters on Early American and Various European Anvils, English Anvils (to include the Mouse Hole, Peter Wright anvils, etc), American Cast Anvils (Fisher & Norris, Vulcan, etc), American Wrought Anvils (Hay-Budden, Trenton, etc.).

Postman includes many reprints of the advertising circulars for these anvils which have dimensions and weights. He describes what features to look for when attempting to identify particular anvils. He has charts which allow you to use the serial number off of old anvils and thereby determine the date of manufacture. For example, my 105 pound Trenton anvil has a serial number of 69375 which tells me that it was made in 1907.

Chapter 7 is particularly interesting: Anvil Odds and Ends, and Trivia. Postman has collected a lot of the myths, stories and trivia associated with anvils and presents them in this chapter. For example, the anvil was believed to have curative properties: they would place a sick child on the anvil and the smith would strike the horn a number of sharp blows, thereby driving out the sickness. He also explains the story behind Gretna Green, a village just inside the border of Scotland where eloping couples from England would go to get married “over the anvil” by the blacksmith.

As far as I know the book is out of print. At the time of this writing (Nov 2007), a search on AMAZON.COM found 4 “second party vendors” who had copies available. Powells listed new copies for $65 and 3 other vendors listed new and used copies at well over $100 each. If you GOOGLE the book, you may find some other sources for purchasing the book.

Book review by Albin Drzewianowski

-- AlbinDrzewianowski - 29 Dec 2007